The Eye of the Storm
by rock n roll star
Summary: [sequal to Breath Before the Storm] in ten years, a lot can happen. This is the account of what happened to Jack and Else, leading up to him stealing Anamaria's boat.
1. Prologue

**This one is written in first person...Else's point of view. Its hard, I think, writing in third all the time, when I never did...so, yeah. Here is the next installment of the trilogy**

Prologue

I sat on the beach, looking out at he ocean.

"We are leaving tomorrow then?" Jack grunted in reply. The same day we had been marooned–actually, he had, I chose to accompany him–rum runners stole upon the island...a cache of some sort, and Jack, after heated debates, bartered our passage off the island, and they said in a few days time, we would leave.

"No need to bite my head off," I said scornfully, taking a sip of rum. I was feeling a slight buzz coming on, and wanted to slowly nurse it into drunkenness.

"I only grunted." Jack snapped.

"See?"

"Can you just...leave me alone, please?" I shot him a hurt look, then curled up my legs under me. I crawled inside myself, and when one of the rum runners came up to me, it took him a few moments until I finally realized he was talking.

"Miss?"

"Oh, sorry, yes?"

"We had to make due with what we got..so we are leaving today." I gave a small nod, and looked over to where Jack sat, and arm span away.

"You'll get it back," I muttered, standing up. "You always get what you want."

Neither of us knew exactly how long it would take, however.


	2. one

Chapter one: Begining

**Year One**

**September–October**

Else slowly stumbled into the small flat that they were currently occupying. She shut the door behind her, setting her bag down, and pulling off her cloak.

"Stupid piece of"– She mumbled, fiddling with the frog clasp, trying to be quiet, knowing Jack would be asleep. But when she looked over to what would be his sleeping form, it wasn't there.

"Jack?" Instantly one of the kerosene lamps went up, and Jack was sitting in one of the chairs, an eyebrow raised at Else.

"I didn't know you could curse like that, love." He smirked, then grabbed her wrist pulling her down. Else gave the token resistence, then allowed herself to be enfolded in his embrace.

"Someone's sentimental." She muttered, closing her eyes and leaning back. They sat there in silence a moment, bathed in the soft light of the lamp.

"What was it this time?" Jack asked. Else sat up, and ran fingers through her long blonde hair, undoing the pins, and allowing it to fall to her back.

"Whores." She muttered, getting off of her mate's lap, and turning to face him.

"Whores?"

"I am the only mid-wife on this damn place that knows how to...how to terminate unwanted pregnancies." Instantly, Jack was on his feet.

"Else! No, don't look away!" He grabbed the small chin and jerked her head around to look at him. Her gray eyes clouded over. Would she never stop yearning for a child?

"I can't help it! Why those whores are always getting themselves"–

"Else, you said it. They are whores. And if you have to go modeling yourself after one, well..you can go and"– Else shushed him, knowing full well he had nothing to say.

"Oh well. Why are you up?" She demanded, suddenly changing tones, it made Jack's head spin. She looked him up and down, then frowned suddenly, seeing him completely dressed.

"Im going." He looked away from her searching gaze, and pulled on his coat.

"For how long, exactly?" Her eyes narrowed. "If you are going after," But he silenced her with a kiss.

"Love," Jack broke away, and put his pistol in his belt. Else noted with dismay that it was the same one he had been given not too long ago. "In order to go after them," He ticked off fingers on his left hand. "One, I would need to find them. Two, I would need to find out if they are cursed, without dying meself. Three, if they are cursed, I have to wait until the are uncursed, if they ever are," Jack smiled down at her, and pulled her to his side. "You Else, are my forth problem." She smiled at that, remembering the day they had, before their world came crashing down in the same night.

Apparently his thoughts wandered to that too, for he scowled and all but pushed her away from him. Else suddenly threw her cloak back on.

"Im going with you."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." And so it went for five minutes, before she changed tactics once again. "Where are you going, pray tell?"

"England."Jack walked over to the door and opened it. "Please love, just...don't. I don't want you to be hurt because of my blood lust ways. Please, just...stay here." He gave her one last kiss, as if wanting to take all of her sweet and strong ways with him, then he was out the door. Else stood in the doorframe, frowning slightly.

She didn't know, but this was to be the first of many dashing off to places to she was not allowed to go. With a resigned sigh, Else shut the door quietly, and crawled into bed, exhausted physically and mentally.

* * *

The small room they rented out in the better of some of the boarding houses in Tortuga was not exactly what Else had in mind, when Jack said they would be setting up house. What she did expect was at least three rooms. One for them, a living or common room...and a nursery. Her hopes were dashed as only one room was available for them. She did the best she could with limited space and money. Result wasn't too bad, and Else was rather proud...even though hardly anyone saw her hard work. The wall paper was still grimy, and you could hardly see the striped pattern. She did fix up the furniture(I measly bed, two arm chairs, a table, two dining chairs, and a love seat) and the floors shone with elbow grease.

Jack had joked that she loved working herself to the bone. She did it on the ship, and she did it now. Secretly, he thought it was her nurturing side that demanded to care for something, and all she had was a pirate and a room. And so he didn't taunt her too much about it, though when they would row, he could get malicious.

Beings as they had no visitors, it was a surprise to Else when there was a knock at the door. She set down her mending–feeling like an old spinster–and looked through the peephole.

Without another moments hesitation, she threw open the door, gasping.

"Bill!" Indeed, there stood the tall figure of Bootstrap Bill, the only crew member saver herself, who didn't mutiny.

"How did you"–He made a motion with his hands, and looked around, clearly agitated.

"We need to talk. Where is Jack?" Else bade the man in, and after shutting the door, gave him a look of dismay.

"He left for England last week. I have no clue when he is due back." Bill paced the worn floor and Else was concerned. He was pale and drawn, and looked haggard, as if his teeth were set on edge for the last six months.

"Damn!" He suddenly exclaimed, throwing a punch at the wall closest to him. Without scolding the man as she would have normally done, she picked up her medicine bag and put a tentative hand on his large shoulder. He sat down, and allowed her to look at his fist.

"What the hell?" Else exclaimed, shock clearly written on her face. In a moments time, what would have been three or four broken knuckles was perfectly healed.

"That's what I needed to talk to Jack about," Bill said wearily. He pulled a pistol out of his belt, and put it up to his head. Else was about to try and stop him, but he pulled the trigger, and she let out a small scream.

However, she needn't have worried. Within minutes, he was fine.

"...The curse?" She whispered, falling back on her haunches. Bill nodded gravely, and put the pistol back in its holster.

"But..."

"After Barbossa mutinied, we went straight to the island. Everyone took gold, and Im ashamed to say that I did too." He looked eastward, as if all his answers lay there. "But I couldn't tolerate what they did to Captain–I mean Jack–, and sent a piece of the treasure to my son, Will. Its miserable,"

"So there really is a curse? You really are immortal?" Bill let out a mirthless laughter, so cold, so...different from the man she knew on the ship such a short while ago.

"At a price, yes, I could say that. Can't eat, drink, mate, or die. Alls well and good, I s'pose. Its not right when even your animal instincts are killed. Its not normal." He stood up again, and looked out the lone window by the bed.

"How did you get off the crew?" Else finally found her voice, and stood up also, wiping her hands on her skirt front absentmindedly.

"Truth? They tied a cannon to my boots. Sent me down to the sea when I was protesting about Jack. Of course, I was cursed. I managed my way out, and soon enough, I was picked up by a naval ship." Else was stunned.

"Well...now what?" Bill turned suddenly to face her, making her take a step back. The sun, dipping low in the sky, made his features look hollow and distorted in red sunlight.

"What now? I suppose I wait. Wait and wait and wait." Without another word as to his friend's well being, Bill strode to the door, yanked it open, and walked out, shutting it loudly.

Else sat down quickly before she felt like she was to faint, and didn't quite realize that her mouth was hanging open.


	3. Two

"Jack!' Else gasped, as the pirate stumbled into the flat. She picked up her skirts and rushed to him, about to hug and pummel him at the same time for being gone so long. It was on her lips to tell him about Bill, when she noticed a sheen of sweat on his brow, and his mouth set in a grimace. He closed the door and fell into the nearest chair. Else looked Jack up and down, then frowned on seeing his left(?) arm bandaged, but something yellow had crept through the thick gauze and stained it. There was a tinge of something pink in the middle as well.

"What did you get yourself into?" Else asked, with a hint of anxiety in her voice. She grabbed her bag and set it on the small coffee table besides the pirate.

"Nothing I can't handle," was his cheeky reply. The worst patient like ever. Her mind suddenly rased back to the time when he had been hurt by Bill, who was merely trying to prove himself. He had taken to a fever and she had to stay up with him. She remembered a particular night when she all but manhandled him back into bed, which was saying something as she was quite small compared to him.

"Very well. Here," Else shoved a fresh bottle of rum into his hands. "It was supposed to be for celebration, but you will need it now," She sighed. Jack looked at the label, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"Where did you get this?" He asked, popping off the cork and taking a large gulp.

"Patient. I got a bolt of silk and they gave me that, for you,"

"Pirate?"

"Yup," Else kneeled down besides Jack and slowly started to unwrap his bandages.

Jack sighed, took another sip, and closed his eyes, feeling a lot more secure in having Else handle his wounds. Her touch was light and quick, leaving no pain, but only cures. He marveled on how he had gotten her; this no nonsense sort of pirate taking him in.

It was a bolster of courage for him when she stayed by his side. It shell-shocked him to see her climbing up to the beach, her clothes soaking wet, clinging to her ample body and toting along a bag of her most precious medicines. She had jumped off the ship after him. That was when he really saw that he loved her. Then, that while when they were almost destitute. She would have sold herself for him, but he finally managed to get a pocketful of money. He wouldn't have let her otherwise. She was his perfect woman.

"Jack!" Else moaned, when she finally got the last bandage off and discarded it behind her. She closed her eyes in quiet sympathy.

On his left forearm were the bearings of jellyfish. He would have scars forever, but she might be able to make them less faint. They wrapped around most of his forearm and looked angry and infected.

"I didn't know there was jelly-fish in England," Else sighed. She plucked a pot of slave from her bag and opened it up with quick fingers.

"I had to make a detour," Jack evaded. Else wiped a few strands of hair from her face with her wrist and dabbed two fingers into the pot, gently spreading the salve over the burns.

"Please don't tell me that you went after,"

"I didn't," Jack snapped. Else grew quiet, and continued with her ministrations. She could never turn down a patient, even if it was a grumpy pirate with a bad attitude and a score of vengeance to settle.

Jack looked down at her, grey eyes more smoky in anger, frustration and love. Her blonde hair was up in it's usual braids and pins, out of her way. Only at night did he see it down, and around her waist. Her head was bent as she applied a different cream, this time rubbing it into his skin. He noticed how they all smelled nice. She was wearing a grey gown, almost identical to the color of her eyes. It was plain, with a large sort of gypsy skirt, and black trim. She wore no jewelry on her long fingers except for a delicate ruby on her left ring finger. She never took it off either. He saw her feet poking out from beneath her bottom(she was sitting cross legged) and saw that she had new black boots on. The soft leather feminine but practical.

"I missed you," He offered. Else looked up at him, grey eyes narrowing.

"I missed you too," she finally said, after looking at him a moment. She grabbed two rolled up bandages from her bag and finished up with his arm.

"You mind telling me what happened?" She asked, standing up and brushing off dirt from her skirt. She went over to the kerosene lamp and turned it up, as it was starting to get dark. She went over to the curtains on the large and only window and twitched them shut.

A warm glow went about the flat, and Jack closed his eyes, taking another gulp of rum. Else walked back over to him, grabbed the bottle, and took a decent sized chug herself.

"Tomorrow," Jack promised, having every intention to actually tell her.

"Fine," Else sat down on his lap, careful to lean on his right side.

"You'll never guess who I ran into," Jack said after a moment.

"Who?" Else's mind prodded at her, trying to make her remember something important she needed to say. But Jack spoke and she put it out of thought.

"Brandy," Immediately the woman sat up and twisted to look at Jack, her eyes wide.

She vividly remembered Brandy. Jack's sister who had kidnaped him in a fit of sibling rivalry. Else had to go to her ship and offer part of the treasure just to get Jack out. She admitted that her mind sometimes wandered to her mate's sister, and often wondered what had become of her.

"How is she?" Else asked after a moment.

"Sore."

"What?"

"Well, she was plopped off in New Providence(a/n: real quick like, just so you know, Nassau Port was called New Providence back then...something PotC didn't catch, obviously) and Barbossa took her ship and crew. No one has seen them since. She is staying at the Tale End Inn," Jack added.

"What? The inn down the road? Jack! Why didn't you have her stay here?"

"Because!" Jack cried, taking the rum back from Else. "We hardly have enough room here as it is. And I should like to point out that me and me sister don't exactly get along well. She did try to kidnap me."

"So? She is going through the same thing as you. She should at least stay with family. Honestly, Jack," Else stood up and put her hands on her hips in a very matronly way. Jack chuckled, trying not to show hurt at her mentioning what had happened. It was still a _very_ sore subject for him.

"Well why don't you two ladies have tea tomorrow?" Jack suggested, standing up and pulling off his tunic with a grimace.

"Because you are going to tell me what happened with _this_ tomorrow," Else pointed to Jack's arm, and helped him unlace his trousers. Free of his clothes, he stumbled into bed, his head thick with weariness, apriciation and love for Else.

Else unlaced her gown with little difficulty and stripped down to her snow white soft cotton shift, relishing at the nice cloth for once. She was making ample money in this pirate town. She pulled off her boots and rolled off her stockings, and joined Jack in bed, tired as well. She had been out and around all day, then had to deliver a rather difficult baby; breech.

"I love ya," Jack mumbled half asleep as Else curled up besides him. That surprised her, as he rarely spoke his affection aloud.

"If getting stung by jelly-fish means you say I love you all the time, I think I shall go get a large vat," Else joked, somewhat uncomfortable.

"Else..." Jack moaned, his voice faint.

"I love you too, Jack," Else whispered, and closed her eyes.


	4. three

**Im starting to think that Im writing for nought. No one ever reviews! I thank those two who did, but Im thinking that no one is reading my story, and if I should just discontinue it? If you read this, just please review! Even if you just skimmed it, let me know! Or I will just delete it, I am not kidding. :(**

Chapter three: Tell the bird he is back

Else felt like she was being followed. Instead of stopping and looking around, she continued down the street, maybe clutching her thin cloak a bit tighter, but still with her head high and her eyes straight.

Those were footsteps. Someone was indeed following her, but who? In a daring move, she turned around swiftly, but there was no one there.

Suddenly, her legs went out beneath her and Else was sprawling into a puddle on the cobblestone streets.

When the stars faded from her eyes, Else looked up.

"Well howdy, as the American chaps say," Else blinked. Standing above her was one of the most beautiful women ever. And deadly as well. Her black hair was like raven feathers, fly away, and barely contained in a pure white strip of cloth. The woman was wearing a matching tunic, with an ebony under-the-bust corset that she was famed for wearing. Her black pants were tucked into shining black boots; one of which was on Else's chest.

"How do you know what American chaps say?" Else sputtered, after a moment. The woman smiled, her deep crimson lips parting. Her tan skin seemed a bit paler, and there were actually bags under her eyes. It gave her an angst look, rather then one of a frump.

"Well, that's for me to know," She took of her foot from Else's chest, and offered an arm. The blonde took it almost gingerly.

"Oh, sorry 'bout the clout. I kept calling out your name, but alas, you are quite def."

"Hello Brandy," Else said wearily. Somehow, she knew that the meeting with Jack's sister would not be uneventful.

"Howdy," Brandy said again, smiling wider. She mock brushed off Else, and they started back down the street.

"I can't talk right now," Brandy sighed. "I just saw you in the street and thought I'd pop by to say hullo. I s'pose you saw that mess of a man who calls himself my brother?"

Yup. The old rivalry was still in her voice.

"Yes,"

"I heard that you jumped ship with that mess of a man. Im sorry, but if it weren't for him, I would have my ship. Now he is playing martyr! The bastard,"

If it had been said lightly, Else would have shrugged it off. But there was genuine disgust and self-pity in her voice. Else stopped, and turned to look at her.

"What?" Brandy asked, confused at the other woman's halt.

_Smack_. "Im sorry Brandy. I like you fine, but if you continue on like that I will punch you. Not some weasely smack either," Brandy opened her mouth, her hand on her cheek. Else lifted a hand to silence her.

"Stop trying to be the victim. We all are. Now, you said you were busy. Good day."

That was the first time that anyone had treated Brandy such. She was too shocked to be angry, and a new amount of respect somehow found its way into her brain.

Else walked down the streets, her mind reeling with anger and frustration. She was acting like a little peahen, if there ever was one. She slammed into the flat, forgoing what else she needed in the market place just to sulk.

"What are you doing home?" Else asked surprised when Jack poked his head out of the john, confused and wary at the slamming of the door. Jack was usually never home during the day, out and about doing pirate things, she supposed.

"I was tired, and decided to stay home," Jack said, frowning at her odd expression. Else pulled off her cloak and set down the one package she had managed to get before her run in with Brandy.

"If I had to take a guess," Jack drawled, walking into the room fully, only his trousers on, and barefoot. He wrapped his arms around her small frame, and she ran her fingers through his smooth long dark hair. "I would say that you had a run in with a relative of mine,"

Right on the nose.

Else broke away from him and opened the package. "I had these made up for you," She said, brandishing a pair of shoes. Jack took them from her, examining them curiously.

"They're new. They are called deck shoes. So your feet don't get splinters, but you don't slip when barefoot."

Else was rather proud of her buy. She had been saving up money to get them for Jack. Made of almost the same type of canvas like the sails, they were the same off-white color of normal ones. But what Else didn't expect was the hard look on Jack's face. His eyes went from brown to black in record time, and he cast the shoes away.

"They would be nice," Jack said coldly, throwing on his tunic and coat, and slipping on his boats faster then anyone could have thought possible. "If I had a deck," with that he slammed out of the door, leaving Else to stand in the middle of their home, tears brimming in her eyes.

She had little time to dwell, however, as a page came running up to her door, and gaspingly told her that she was needed in the local brothel. Without another though to her pirate, she grabbed her bag and cloak and followed the small boy down the hall, down the stairs and out the door into the cool twilight.

"Do you work there?" Else asked, a bit of repulsion tugging in the depths of her voice. The little sandy haired boy shook his head.

"No'm. Me mum does though," The blonde gave him a small sympathetic smile.

"What's your name?"

"Winston," The boy said proudly. They were nearing the busy and bustling end of the street, where the most famous and sought after ladies of the night made their home in the Sexo Y Amor. Sex and Love.

"Wow..." Else said, as they walked through the door, having to speak louder on account of the noise. "Such a large name for such a little boy,"

"Everyone calls me Sonny," the urchin admitted. He led her to the back rooms, where the whores and barmaids slept at night, or early morning.

"In here ma'am," Sonny said, pointing to a door.

"Call me Else," Else gave the boy a wink and found him a shilling. His face lit up and he hurriedly thanked her before running off.

"Oh dear," Else said, frowning as she walked into the room. She really had no clue what she was sent in here for, but she was not prepared for the scene that hit her eyes. A labor, yes. Perhaps a sprained ankle from dancing on tabletops, but not this.

"Thanks be to God you are here," A woman rushed towards Else, tears in her eyes. She was most likely Spanish, and her dress was ripped and torn, coming off her shoulders.

"...What happened?" Else asked, eyes wide.

"_El mal hombre. _The bad man," The woman said darkly. Else walked over to the small bed, biting her lip.

Lying on the bed was the most battered woman she had ever seen. Blood oozed from various cuts and scrapes, staining the already dingy sheets. Her face was swollen so bad that Else couldn't make out her features to save her own life. Most of the woman's clothing was torn off, and she was actually wearing a corset and bloomers of rich fabric. When Else looked down at stepping on something, she saw the remnants of a beautiful golden silk gown.

"What happened?" Else asked again, turning back to the Spanish woman.

"It was a man," the woman kept saying.

"Ok, ok," Else said, trying to calm her own nerves. This was no ordinary madman who liked to push around a whore when on shore leave. Even the poor thing's golden brown tresses were chopped off. This man set out to do something.

"What is your name?" Else asked the woman, grabbing what she would need out of her bag.

"Rosita," The woman sniffed.

"I'm Else. Can you tell me what this man looked like?" Else kneeled besides the semi-unconscious woman and gingerly began apply salve to her swollen face.

"He was tall. A pock-marred face, but somewhat dark and handsome looking. He grew angry when I couldn't...please him. He saw her walking through the tavern, with her little boy, Sonny, in hand, to say goodbye to the owner. His eyes grew small and he quickly grabbed her and shoved her into this room. He beat her..." Rosita started sobbing. Else bent her head low as she continued.

"What is her name?" Else asked, looking back up as Rosita somewhat controlled herself.

"Isabella,"

"Did the man say anything?" Else hated asking.

"Yes," Else jumped as the question was answered from the beaten woman. Teeth were missing out of her mouth, and it must have been hard for her to even blink.

"What? Perhaps I can have my man go and find him?" Else's empathy grew when remembering the comment by Rosita. The little cute boy Sonny, was her child.

"He said something about a bird." Isabella croaked. "He wanted this bird to know he was back." Painfully she jerked her head, and Else looked in the direction of her gaze.

"What the hell?" She gasped. There on Isabella's forearm was a burn. A large round one. Too intricate to be an accident. It looked like this man had heated something up, and put it to her flesh.

"What did he use?"

"A coin. I think,"

"What did he say his name was?" Else pressed, the pit of her stomach dropping, churning, and becoming ice cold.

"Bar–" but the woman's eyes rolled back into her head, and she was no more.

Else stood up, and wiped tears from her eyes. She turned to Rosita who was staring at the now dead woman with eyes the size of dinner plates.

"No," The Spanish woman whispered.

"Sorry?" Else gathered her things, her heart going out to the now orphaned Sonny.

"She was a lady!" Rosita all but wailed. "She had made it out of here! She found a man who had cared for her and her bastard baby! Oh, I can't believe it, what of poor Sonny? James is dead, and none of us whores can take care of ourselves, let alone a child! I don't even have money to pay you!"

"Shh!" Else demanded, her face set in a look of determination. "I never charge those who cant afford it. Why don't I take Sonny, until a home can be found for him?"

It was the right thing to do. The classic thing to do. And mid-wives everywhere were always getting pinned with it, but Else didn't care. For all she knew, this could have distantly be related to her, and her fault. For all she knew, she could have just killed this boy's mother.

"Are you sure?" Rosita sniffed.

"Yes. Round me up his things, and meet me outside of the brothel," Else grabbed two pennies from her satchel and placed them over Isabella's eyes, and a sick feeling came to her when she thought that most likely they would be stolen in ten minutes.

"Oh, you are so kind!" Rosita sobbed anew, and bustled around the get the few things that belonged to Sonny.

Else stepped out of the room, taking a deep breath and counting to ten.

"Else?" Else looked down to see the boy, looking up with hopeful eyes.

"Would you like to come stay with me for a while?" Else asked. The boy took a step back. "I live with a nice and funny pirate, who could take you sailing one day?" He took a step forward, but was still silent.

"Please? Sonny? Winston? Just trust me on this one, you don't want to stay here," Sonny gave a short nod. Rosita came out with a bundle of his things, and after giving the boy a tight hug and a peck on the cheek, they were off.

"What's the pirate's name?" Sonny asked as they went back to her flat. Their flat now.

"Jack Sparrow," Else tried to smile down at him. But suddenly something clicked horridly in her mind. _"He wanted the bird to know he was back_,"

Barbossa.


	5. Four

Chapter four: Yes and no

"No!" Jack whispered harshly. "We can't support a child! We barely have enough money for ourselves!"

Both Jack and Else were standing in the bathroom, door shut, and having a quiet battle.

"Jack," Else said plaintively. "You know I can't have children, and its because of us that this boy doesn't have a mother!" Jack was about to round on her when he caught that she was hiding something, and it would be the scale-tipper of their fight.

"What do you mean?" He asked slowly, almost dreading the answer.

"His mother was beat to death," Else said, biting her lip.

"Then how was this our fault?" Jack demanded. "We didn't beat her! Else, I know you've always wanted children, but he can't stay!"

"She was beaten by Barbossa," Else finally said quietly. Jack didn't speak. He couldn't. In fact, his mouth was moving, but no words were coming out.

"Your sure?" He finally managed, in the most choked up tone Else had ever heard.

"Yes,"

"How?"

"Because, before he left, he mentioned something about 'I want the bird to know Im back,' that is what the woman said. Bird equals Sparrow. Don't you see? She had a large burn on her arm. He heated up a piece of the treasure and put it to her flesh. So it is because of us that this child has no mother,"

"But Else," Jack ran his fingers through his long dark hair, and sighed. She had won. But he wasn't going to give up easily. "We don't know he meant me,"

"Who else is out there that he knows has the surname that you took; like a bird? Hmm? And whom else does he know would be there to take care of the woman, when he left? I am the only mid-wife on this side of the freaking rock, Jack!"

Jack took a deep breath, and gave one curt nod of his head. Else gave him a quick peck on the cheek and walked out of the bathroom.

-0-

"What do you mean, Bill was here?" Jack demanded over dinner that night. Else had just remembered that when young Sonny was chattering about his little urchin friends.

"Just that," Else replied distractedly as she stood up and doled out more of the stew onto both of "her" men's plates. "He came by when you were gone. Said that Barbossa tied a cannon to his bootstraps and dumped him in the ocean."

Jack was instantly on his feet; his chair toppling backwards. Else gave him a sour look and righted it. "How in the hell did he survive?" He demanded.

"He was cursed."

"And?"

"And what? Supposedly when you take that treasure from the chest you are cursed. You cant die, but you aren't necessarily alive. He even proved it. Nearly scared the wits out of me, I swear. Put a pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. Next moment he was fine."

Jack's eyes suddenly narrowed, and his upper lip curled over his teeth. "That is low, Else," he snarled.

Sonny's eyes widened at the pure fury that was radiating from Jack. Else seemed to sense this, and quickly sent the child to go play with his friends in the tenant in the dusk.

"What do you mean," Else asked slowly, after Sonny had left.

"That story! How could you make something up like that!"

"I didn't!" Else cried, her eyes growing darker and wider. "Bill was here, I swear!"

"Then why didn't he come back? Why didn't he leave a note?"

Tears started to brim in her eyes as Else stood there in front of Jack. He felt a pang of guilt at seeing her chin quivering, as she never cried, even though she didn't let out a sob, and she didn't let the tears fall.

"I don't know!" She said in a steady voice. "But Jack, I swear he was here. He was cursed."

"That's it!" Jack roared, grabbing his coat off of the peg by the stove and then wrenching the door open. "I'm not coming back!" He slammed the door behind him; leaving Else to quickly crumble into the nearest chair and one shuddering sob wracked her frame.

-0-

"When he said he wasn't coming back, did he mean, he wasn't coming back?" Rosie asked over tea two days later. She was a rather plum lady, who lived in the flat next to Else with her large brood of seven kids and burly husband. One had the air of a bird when around Rosie.

"No," Else drawled sarcastically. "I think he meant he was going out for tea and crumpets. Of course he probably meant it! Sonny, give Marie back her doll," The last sentence was directed to the small boy who was taunting the youngest of Rosie's children; instantly he dropped the little corn stalk thing.

"Well, are you going to look for him?" Rosie asked, completely unfazed. She threw another bit of sugar into her cup and then took an experimental sip.

"I don't see how I can. Now with Sonny, and who knows where he could have gone. Last time he left he said he was going to England, but then he turned up with jelly-fish burns and said he had to make a detour. Last time, he also left money," Else added somberly.

"What?"

"Well, there is no money in the house. I make enough to eat with due to my mid-wifing, but now? I cant make enough for food and rent. After this month, I'll be thrown on the streets for sure."

"I could lend you some," Rosie started, but stopped when Else shook her head slowly.

"I couldn't take it. You have more then two mouths to feed, and I know Frank isn't making a lot of money down at the Inn,"

"You could stay with us,"

"I doubt it. You pile too many kids into one room as it is. You know me, Rosie. I hate to impose."

"But you helped me with Marie, a few months ago. I couldn't give you enough stuff for payment of saving my daughters life." Rosie cast a look over at young frail Marie, who had almost died of scarlet fever in October. Because no one had ever had the sickness except for Else, she willing cast them all into her own apartment and took care of the child herself.

"I wont, and you know it," Else said stubbornly. Then a though struck her. "Do you think you could maybe watch Sonny for me?" She asked tentatively.

"Of course," Rosie said at once.

"Thank you! I think I might know where Jack is, and it isn't that far. Its on this very island, but it's a couple day's journey. I will pay you..."

"Nope!" Rosie smiled. "I shan't take it. When will you be leaving?"

"Oh..." Else thought. "I think I'll leave tonight. I'll borrow a horse from the Inn's stables, and it's a bit easier to travel Tortuga at night, as everyone is roistering at the inns and brothels. Thank you so much, Rosie," Else added.

"Speak nothing of it. Now, do you have anymore of this gunpowder green tea?"

"Yes, in fact. A whore from the east who came here with a pirate gave me a whole case full as payment for treating a nasty sprained ankle,"

The talk soon turned to dull things such as the best type of poultice to put on an ankle, and how much whores from the east might cost.


End file.
